Saab Aircraft Leasing Posts Strong Year in 2005

Press release

20 February 2006

The year 2005 will be recorded in aviation history as the year of the“turboprop comeback”. New turboprop sales surpassed regional jet salesfor the first time in 10 years, and in turn Saab Aircraft Leasingcompleted a very successful year.

Included in these transactions were two dedicated Cargo Saab 340As toIBC and RAF Avia further securing the Cargo market share for the Saab340. These latest orders will grow the total to12 Saab 340As all Cargoin service adding to five existing Quick Change-aircraft.

As SAL enters 2006, the company is already off to a great start withplacement activities for a 4 Saab 340A aircraft in progress. The companyhas the lowest inventory of available aircraft in many years, totalingonly seven Saab 340As, one S340B and no Saab 2000s. Some 20 aircraft arescheduled for lease returns during 2006. This is nearly the number ofaircraft SAL has been placing annually.

“The transactions for 2005 show a wide spread amongst diverse customersin many countries showing the continuing worldwide appeal of the Saabaircraft,“ said Michael Magnusson, President and CEO of Saab AircraftLeasing. “We are also very pleased that third parties placed another 87Saabs to meet the demands of the market.”

The worldwide fleet of Saab 340s and Saab 2000s is approximately 500units operated by approximately 50 customers in 20 countries. ByDecember 2005, the Saab 340 fleet had accumulated 11.8m flight hours and13.2m cycles. Highest time aircraft is at 44,500 hours, and highest timecycles is at 53,700. The Saab 2000 fleet had accumulated 970,000 hoursby December and 956,000 cycles. Highest time aircraft is 23,200 hoursand 22,400 cycles reflecting a younger fleet.

Saab Aircraft Leasing manages a portfolio of 218 Saab 340s and Saab2000s leased to 25 customers in 13 countries. With 33 employees, thecompany’s head office is in Washington, DC and SAL has regional officesin Stockholm, Sweden and Tokyo, Japan. SAL is part of Saab AB.

Saab is one of the world’s leading high-technology companies, with itsmain operations focusing on defence, aviation and space. The groupcovers a broad spectrum of competence and capabilities in systemsintegration.

Third Party Activities.Saab aircraft were in demand during 2005, therefore a large number ofaircraft have been placed. These consist of 40 Saab 340As, 35 Saab 340Bsand 12 Saab 2000s. This total of 87 Saab transactions added to the 32SAL aircraft makes an unprecedented 119 Saab aircraft placements. SALplaced 37% of the Saab 340As, few 340Bs because of lack of availability,and 45% of the Saab 2000s.

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Will Daniels is a second-year graduate engineer with Saab Australia. Last year he and four other graduates from Adelaide headquarters, acted as engineering mentors to groups of high school students studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.